Its makes getting into and out of port more difficult causing the tankers/coal barges, etc to carry lighter loads, affecting production for local industry. Overall shipping of western and mid western goods will slow as it gets harder for oceanic tankers to maneuver through the Lakes. Then there is the potential for local drinking water supplies to become burdened and there are already issues with water quality and invasives. The Great Lakes story reminds me of the Rocky movies,they've been knocked to hell countless times but somehow rebound.

It shows Lake Michigan levels from 1918 to present. The lake has been at these "record" lows 3 times before, 1964, 1934 and 1926. Look at how it hit close to a record high in 1929-1930. Big change in a couple of years time. Also note that the variation is about 6 ft.

The big factor that affects lake levels are rain/snow amounts. There is nothing that man can do to change that. And don't give me the ridiculous line about global warming, oops, I mean global climate change, or what ever it's called today. Again look at the graph and how it changes from a period of 2-3 years.

If we think that we can increase the levels by reducing water usage we will be on a fool's errand. What we do when the levels hit highs? Will we have to drink more water and have mandatory lawn watering?

Who gave anyone a line about climate change or having to drink more or less water? Why do some on this board feel it necessary to attack any environmental concern? Why is it so hard to believe global weather and yes climate changes moves in cycles just the same as water levels in the Great Lakes? The issue of man's impact on either isn't worth debating because no matter what it gets politicized. Fact is weather patterns change, and along with that comes climate change, to deny that our climate is capable of change is ignorant in my opinion.

Here in the Port of St. Joseph, LaFarge is likely going to totally close their plant down due to the fact they can't get their ships into port full any longer.

At least here, it's not so much lake levels, Lake Michigan is less than 50' off my back deck and it is on average the same as it has been for 10 years and I know until a couple years ago there wasn't any issues getting ships in the port full, incredibly high flow rates LAST Winter in the St. Joseph River brought down HUGE amounts of sediment though and has really made navigating the port difficult.

__________________"They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore." ~ John Gierach

Who gave anyone a line about climate change or having to drink more or less water? Why do some on this board feel it necessary to attack any environmental concern? Why is it so hard to believe global weather and yes climate changes moves in cycles just the same as water levels in the Great Lakes? The issue of man's impact on either isn't worth debating because no matter what it gets politicized. Fact is weather patterns change, and along with that comes climate change, to deny that our climate is capable of change is ignorant in my opinion.

Obviously.. Otherwise most of the planet would still be covered in ice

Here in the Port of St. Joseph, LaFarge is likely going to totally close their plant down due to the fact they can't get their ships into port full any longer.

At least here, it's not so much lake levels, Lake Michigan is less than 50' off my back deck and it is on average the same as it has been for 10 years and I know until a couple years ago there wasn't any issues getting ships in the port full, incredibly high flow rates LAST Winter in the St. Joseph River brought down HUGE amounts of sediment though and has really made navigating the port difficult.